COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Maryland (2-7, 0-2 B1G) will head west for a pair of Big Ten road duals January 13 and 15 when the team faces #16 Michigan (3-2, 0-2 B1G) and Michigan State (2-5, 0-2 B1G).

The Terps will first face Michigan on Friday evening at 7 p.m., looking to rebound after dropping a pair of team decisions on Sunday vs. Illinois and Navy. The Wolverines secured a 33-6 team decision when these teams met last season in College Park.

Maryland sealed its first-ever Big Ten win as members of the conference when the squad hosted Michigan State last year, winning seven matches en route to a 26-10 victory. Both matches will be streamed live on BTN Plus

A Look at the WOLVERINES

Michigan has wrestled a fierce schedule of duals up to this point, with four of its five opponents ranking inside the top-25. The Wolverines knocked of Virginia, #17 Oklahoma and #24 Oregon State to start the year, but was tripped up by No. 18 Minnesota and No. 3 Iowa in its past two duals.

Michigan currently has four grapplers ranked inside the top-25 in the latest InterMat Wrestling Individual Rankings, with a talented young core leading the way. Redshirt freshman Logan Massa has burst onto the scene in his first collegiate dual season, sporting a 16-0 record while nailing down the nation’s #2 ranking at 165.

The Terps will be neck-and-neck with Michigan State when the teams meet on Sunday, with the Spartans looking for their first Big Ten win when they start the weekend vs. Northwestern on January 13.

After winning its first two duals, MSU entered a five-match skid which included a 44-0 defeat to #3 Iowa on January 8 and a narrow 20-17 loss to #18 Minnesota on December 9.

19th-ranked Javier Gasca (141) is the lone Spartan in the InterMat rankings, sporting a 17-5 record on the season. It will very much be a new look for the Terps when they meet MSU this season, with only three wrestlers (Simmons, Bannister & Hemida) who competed in the dual last season projected to go on Sunday.

Michigan State Probables

125 Logan Griffin R-FR (14-7) –OR– Mitch Rogaliner R-JR (10-8)

133 Austin Eicher R-SO (14-9)

141 #19 Javier Gasca R-JR (17-5)

149 Nick Trimble R-SR (11-6)

157 Austin Thompson R-SO (17-9)

165 Drew Hughes FR (17-3)

174 Drew Barnes R-SR (6-8) –OR– Logan Ritchie R-FR (3-6)

184 Shwan Shadaia R-SO (6-9) –OR– Wesley Maskill R-SO (7-9)

197 Matt Okaiye R-SO (5-6)

285 Jacob Cooper SO (9-12)

CRAY WINS F&m oPEN

Freshman Brandon Cray continues to show positive signs in his first collegiate season, as the two-time New Jersey High School State Champion won the F&M open title at 125 pounds on January 7.

Cray’s day started with a pair of bonus point victories in the opening rounds, taking out Aaron Burkett (Lehigh) by fall (5:19) and Evan Quinn (Campbell) by major decision (12-4). Cray then bested Devin Schnupp (Penn State) to advance to the semifinals, where he wrestled his closest match of the day against Charles Lenox (NC State).

Cray and Lenox had to go to overtime to decide a winner, where Cray came up with a clutch takedown to tally the 3-1 sudden victory decision. The Steinert, N.J. native then met Gage Curry of American in the final, where he came up with a 5-3 decision to claim his first career collegiate tournament title.

Cray has now placed in three tournaments during his redshirt season for Maryland, and moves to 14-4 on the year.

midlands rewind

Redshirt sophomore Alfred Bannister (149) led the Terps at the 54th Annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships December 29-30 with an eighth place finish in the 149-pound bracket.

Bannister totaled five wins at Midlands, which included a two bonus point victories and a pair of wins in tiebreaker.

Maryland was 17th overall in the team standings, with the team accounting for nine bonus point victories during the two-day tourney.

Redshirt senior Billy Rappo surprised some folks in the early rounds of the Midlands Championships, knocking off two seeded opponents in his season debut at 133 pounds.

Rappo’s opening bout was one of the most exciting of the day in front of a large crowd at Welsh-Ryan Arena, coming back to defeat sixth-seeded Tyson Dippery (Rutgers). After going down 4-2, Rappo scrambled from the top position in the second period to put Dippery in a cradle and eventually on his back for an upset pin (4:17).

The Holland, Pa. native then went to work on 11th-seeded Scott Delvecchio, clinching an 8-3 decision. Rappo finished the tournament 2-2 overall.

next up

Maryland will be back home for a dual vs. Purdue on January 20, before facing Ohio State at Good Counsel High School on January 22.